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Punk Rock Ghost Story
PUNK NEVER REALLY DIES! "David Agranoff is a razor sharp writer, a storyteller with a hard rock pacing, a magician of ideas, an adventurer in subcultures, an expert in underground music scenes." --John Shirley, author of Wetbones "Agranoff puts you on tour with one of punk's great mysteries in this stunning and unflinching dive into the blood, sweat, and vitality that helped punk rock change the world and destroyed one of its legendary bands." --James Chambers, author of Three Chords of Chaos In the Reagan 80s, at the height of hardcore punk, bands eager to make it big crisscrossed the United States in beat-up tour vans with little more than DIY passion and boxes of handmade records. Basements, warehouses and dive bars were alive with the raw energy of the underground scene. But in the summer of 1982, legendary Indianapolis hardcore band, The F*ckers, became the victim of a mysterious tragedy. They returned home without their vocalist and the band disappeared. A single record sought by collectors, a band nearly forgotten, and an urban legend passed from punk to punk. What happened to The F*ckers on that tour? Why was their singer never seen again? No one has been able to say. Until now... For the first time, the truth behind Indiana's lost hardcore legend THE F*CKERS, is revealed. And the most shocking secret is that it could happen again. From the author of Amazing Punk Stories and Boot of the Wolf Reich, David Agranoff, Punk Rock Ghost Story is a one of a kind supernatural horror set against two very different eras of punk rock history.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2016
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92 people want to read
About the author
David Agranoff
31 books208 followersDavid Agranoff is a novelist, screenwriter, and Horror and Science Fiction critic. He is the Splatterpunk and Wonderland book award-nominated author of 13 books including the novels the WW II Vampire novel - The Last Night to Kill Nazis, the science fiction novel Goddamn Killing Machines from CLASH BOOKS, The Cli-fi novel Ring of Fire, Punk Rock Ghost Story and People’s Park from Quoir books,
As a critic, he has written more than a thousand book reviews on his blog Postcards from a Dying World, which has recently become a podcast, featuring interviews with award-winning and bestselling authors such as Stephen Graham Jones, Paul Tremblay, Alma Katsu and Josh Malerman. For the last five years David has co-hosted the Dickheads podcast, a deep-dive into the work of Philip K. Dick reviewing his novels in publication order as well as the history of Science Fiction. His non-fiction essays have appeared on Tor.com, NeoText, and Cemetery Dance.
His most recent novel is the science fiction novel Great America in Dead World which you can buy now! He just finished writing a book, Unfinished PKD on the unpublished fragments and outlines of Philip K. Dick.
As a critic, he has written more than a thousand book reviews on his blog Postcards from a Dying World, which has recently become a podcast, featuring interviews with award-winning and bestselling authors such as Stephen Graham Jones, Paul Tremblay, Alma Katsu and Josh Malerman. For the last five years David has co-hosted the Dickheads podcast, a deep-dive into the work of Philip K. Dick reviewing his novels in publication order as well as the history of Science Fiction. His non-fiction essays have appeared on Tor.com, NeoText, and Cemetery Dance.
His most recent novel is the science fiction novel Great America in Dead World which you can buy now! He just finished writing a book, Unfinished PKD on the unpublished fragments and outlines of Philip K. Dick.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 14, 2017
Punk Rock Ghost Story is a beautiful journey back-in-time to the early years of American hardcore punk. It’s part horror story and part nostalgic road trip. The novel centres round Nick and his band, People’s Uprising, as they set off on their first nationwide tour. Everything is in place except for the transport, until Nick stumbles upon a battered old van, while out on his bike. He immediately recognises the van as the one used by local 80’s hardcore band The F*ckers. Little is known about The F*ckers, they only released one 7inch and did the single tour, which ended prematurely when lead singer Frank F*cker mysteriously disappeared. Nick is a big fan of the band and recognised the van from the 7inch’s artwork. It’s set to be a perfect summer for Nick. The band’s his life and romance could be blossoming between Nick and the bassist, Ericka. They set off on tour, taking the same route the The F*ckers did twenty years earlier, even playing in the same cities. They find The F*ckers tour diary hidden away in the vans upholstery so they can trace the bands journey and find out what happened to Frank F*cker.
So what could go wrong? Well, it seems the van might be haunted by the ghost of Frank F*cker!
Punk Rock Ghost Story, as the title suggests, is a ghost story set in the underground hardcore punk scene. David Agranoff describes the whole scene from the punk house to the way they organise the tour through Scene Reports in MRR with such authenticity that you can imagine that he’d been there at the time. And then there’s the enigma that is Frank F*cker, a man obsessed with the punk ethics. It’s Us Vs Them.
PRGS doesn’t just appeal to fans of horror fiction, but also all those punk rockers new and old. David builds the tension to boiling point. It’s a great book and I loved it!
So what could go wrong? Well, it seems the van might be haunted by the ghost of Frank F*cker!
Punk Rock Ghost Story, as the title suggests, is a ghost story set in the underground hardcore punk scene. David Agranoff describes the whole scene from the punk house to the way they organise the tour through Scene Reports in MRR with such authenticity that you can imagine that he’d been there at the time. And then there’s the enigma that is Frank F*cker, a man obsessed with the punk ethics. It’s Us Vs Them.
PRGS doesn’t just appeal to fans of horror fiction, but also all those punk rockers new and old. David builds the tension to boiling point. It’s a great book and I loved it!
December 16, 2016
I like books that evoke an era. I like horror novels. David Agranoff does both quite well at the same time. He likes to write about the punk rock era of the 80s and beyond. He does it very well. Other authors may incorporate punk rock in their fiction but Agranoff does it with a wistfulness coupled with a realism that our memories of an era can be more harmful than helpful if we don't recognize the realities of today. It is not that different than the struggles I had in the sixties and onward with the "hippie" movement. Both evokes memories and conflicts that are ripe for exploration in literature, even horror.
Punk Rock Ghost Story (PRGS)seems to be about that struggle. As we begin the novel, Frank and his punk rock group The Fuckers are touring across the country in 1982 dreaming of a possible concert with Black Flag once they reach Los Angeles. The tour is a disaster and just out of Houston, the band members decide they want to return home to Indiana. Frank forces them to continue and seems to be on the verge of an unreasonable and violent obsession.
Fast forward to 2006. Nate and his band People's Uprising is about to go on tour. They are a struggling punk band in Indiana that dreams of breaking out of the locals and into more renown with their tour. Nate loves the punk scene but wonders if it has lost something from its start in the 80s. While looking for a tour van, he stumbles across a beat up van that was used for the Fuckers' last legendary tour where Frank disappeared and was never seen again. People's Uprising goes on tour but the van has a hold on Nate as he listens to eerie voices and visions while the rest of the band becomes concerned with his memory losses and personality changes.
So now we have a ghost story coupled with a mystery. Is the van haunted,? What happened to Frank on his last tour? What is happening to Nate? Everything is eventually revealed but not without a number of scares and some violence. As a ghost story, PRGS is very successful and kept me enthralled with the mystery and strangeness of the tale. But what really makes it memorable is Agranoff's blending of time and culture. Punk in the 80s was indeed a golden time. But it was not the nirvana that memories may make it. Reality never is. Outside the cities, punk were subjected to suspicion and often violence. They were misunderstood as anything unusual or new is often misunderstood. Frank's anger became part of that and, with Nate, the van recognizes a similar anger and longing and exploits that. The author's evoking of the punk culture seems real in both its contemporary and 80s incarnations. I am not sure it is a coming of age story or a returning to another age story and I like that. Nate's relationship to band member and girl friend Erika is also a central part of the plot and become essential to how it plays out.
It is said that writers should write about what they know and Agranoff certainly knows his punk rock culture. But there is more than that. He is able to communicate beyond the punk rockers and make that scene a reality for those who do not identify with it. He may write in the horror genre but the theme goes well beyond just the scares and that is why we should read his works. He is still in his prime so we can expect more like this. That is definitely a good thing.
Punk Rock Ghost Story (PRGS)seems to be about that struggle. As we begin the novel, Frank and his punk rock group The Fuckers are touring across the country in 1982 dreaming of a possible concert with Black Flag once they reach Los Angeles. The tour is a disaster and just out of Houston, the band members decide they want to return home to Indiana. Frank forces them to continue and seems to be on the verge of an unreasonable and violent obsession.
Fast forward to 2006. Nate and his band People's Uprising is about to go on tour. They are a struggling punk band in Indiana that dreams of breaking out of the locals and into more renown with their tour. Nate loves the punk scene but wonders if it has lost something from its start in the 80s. While looking for a tour van, he stumbles across a beat up van that was used for the Fuckers' last legendary tour where Frank disappeared and was never seen again. People's Uprising goes on tour but the van has a hold on Nate as he listens to eerie voices and visions while the rest of the band becomes concerned with his memory losses and personality changes.
So now we have a ghost story coupled with a mystery. Is the van haunted,? What happened to Frank on his last tour? What is happening to Nate? Everything is eventually revealed but not without a number of scares and some violence. As a ghost story, PRGS is very successful and kept me enthralled with the mystery and strangeness of the tale. But what really makes it memorable is Agranoff's blending of time and culture. Punk in the 80s was indeed a golden time. But it was not the nirvana that memories may make it. Reality never is. Outside the cities, punk were subjected to suspicion and often violence. They were misunderstood as anything unusual or new is often misunderstood. Frank's anger became part of that and, with Nate, the van recognizes a similar anger and longing and exploits that. The author's evoking of the punk culture seems real in both its contemporary and 80s incarnations. I am not sure it is a coming of age story or a returning to another age story and I like that. Nate's relationship to band member and girl friend Erika is also a central part of the plot and become essential to how it plays out.
It is said that writers should write about what they know and Agranoff certainly knows his punk rock culture. But there is more than that. He is able to communicate beyond the punk rockers and make that scene a reality for those who do not identify with it. He may write in the horror genre but the theme goes well beyond just the scares and that is why we should read his works. He is still in his prime so we can expect more like this. That is definitely a good thing.
January 30, 2025
This was great fun. I loved the story and the ending was on point. The mood was set so well.
The typos though…that was rough. Definitely needed another copy edit pass.
The typos though…that was rough. Definitely needed another copy edit pass.
June 12, 2021
Punk's not dead... it's immortal.
May 26, 2019
Deeming whether something or someone is or isn't "punk rock" since its inception nearly 40 years ago has turned from a genuine question into a kind of absurd litmus test for both the young and the old. More so than any other musical style, claiming something is "punk" has gone beyond labeling it because it fits within decisive parameters, and has instead become a subjective definition of the person describing, and what they're referring to. It could mean a style of music, yes, but it could also refer to clothes, actions, inaction, political leanings, processes of thought, lifestyle, you name it. And because it's such a subjective claim, it's a slippery devil of a label that can vary wildly from person to person, yet somehow maintain the veneer of righteousness by claiming to be static, but in reality is anything but.
Confused yet? I don't blame you. Let's try to break it down with some examples: Hot Topic? Not punk. A band signing to a major label? Not punk.
The spirit of a murderer possessing a tour van and carrying out his bloody revenge nearly 30 years later? That's pretty fucking punk rock.
That's the premise of Punk Rock Ghost Story, David Agranoff's newest book: a group of teens in a punk band from Indiana called "People's Uprising" are preparing for their first interstate tour, but are missing a critical component – transportation.
You can read Matt's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
Confused yet? I don't blame you. Let's try to break it down with some examples: Hot Topic? Not punk. A band signing to a major label? Not punk.
The spirit of a murderer possessing a tour van and carrying out his bloody revenge nearly 30 years later? That's pretty fucking punk rock.
That's the premise of Punk Rock Ghost Story, David Agranoff's newest book: a group of teens in a punk band from Indiana called "People's Uprising" are preparing for their first interstate tour, but are missing a critical component – transportation.
You can read Matt's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
November 6, 2016
PUNK ROCK GHOST STORY is epic! This is a very unique take on a ghost story. We're talking haunted punk rock your van here. All setvagainst the backdrop of two punk rock music scenes from two different eras.
This could be titled A Tale of Two Scenes. Author David Agranoff examines old school crusty punk rock vs. new school mall-bred punk rock. The story doesn't give allegiance to one side our the other but instead issues it's differences to create a disturbing tale of haunting and possesion.
Seven years in the making and the final product is another cult punk literary classic. If you've had punk in your blood (not matter what punk scene you were born into) PRGS is essential reading! Get crusty, get Agranoff, get haunted!
This could be titled A Tale of Two Scenes. Author David Agranoff examines old school crusty punk rock vs. new school mall-bred punk rock. The story doesn't give allegiance to one side our the other but instead issues it's differences to create a disturbing tale of haunting and possesion.
Seven years in the making and the final product is another cult punk literary classic. If you've had punk in your blood (not matter what punk scene you were born into) PRGS is essential reading! Get crusty, get Agranoff, get haunted!
January 16, 2017
Punk may be dead, but it doesn't stay buried...
Check out the review here: https://www.horrortalk.com/reviews/bo...
Check out the review here: https://www.horrortalk.com/reviews/bo...
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews